224 



CONGRESS. (PEESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



and concealed themselves among the mountains near 

 the scene of their outrages, put our soldiers at a great 

 disadvantage in their efforts to capture them, though 

 the expectation is still entertained that they will be 

 ultimately taken and punished for their crimes. 



The threatening and disorderly conduct of the Chey- 

 ennes in the Indian Territory early last summer caused 

 considerable alarm and uneasiness. Investigation 

 proved that their threatening attitude was due in a 

 great measure to the occupation of the land of their res- 

 ervation by immense herds of cattle, which their own- 

 ers claimed were rightfully there under certain leases 

 made by the Indians. Such occupation appearing up- 

 on examination to be unlawful notwithstanding these 

 leases, the intruders were ordered to remove with their 

 cattle from the lands of the Indians by Executive proc- 

 lamation. The enforcement of this proclamation had 

 the effect of restoring peace and order among the In- 

 dians, and they are now quiet and well behaved. 



By an Executive order issued on February 27, 1885, 

 by my predecessor, a portion of the tract of country 

 in the territory known as the Old Winnebago and 

 Crow Creek reservations was directed to be restored 

 to the public domain and opened to settlement under 

 the land-laws of the United States, and a large num- 

 ber of persons entered upon those lands. This action 

 alarmed the Sioux Indians, who claimed the territory 

 as belonging to their reservation under the treaty of 

 1868. This claim was determined, after careful inves- 

 tigation to be well founded ; and consequently the Ex- 

 ecutive order referred to was, by proclamation of 

 April 17, 1885, declared to be inoperative and of no 

 effect, and all persons upon the land were warned to 

 leave. This warning has been substantially complied 

 with. 



The public domain had its origin in cessions of 

 land by the States to the General Government. The 

 first cession was made by the State of New York, and 

 the largest, which in area exceeded all the others, by 

 the State of Virginia. The territory, the proprietor- 

 ship of which became thus vested in the General Gov- 

 ernment, extended from the western line of Penn- 

 sylvania to the Mississippi river. These patriotic 

 donations of the States were encumbered with no con- 

 dition, except that they should be held and used 

 " for the common benefit of the United States." By 

 purchase, with the common fund of all the people, 

 additions were made to this domain until it extended 

 to the northern line of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, and 

 the Polar Sea. The original trust, " for the common 

 benefit of the United States," attached to all. In the 

 execution of that trust the policy of many homes, 

 rather than large estates, was adopted by the Govern- 

 ment. That these might be easily obtained, and be 

 the abode of security and contentment, the laws for 

 their acquisition were few, easily understood, and gen- 

 eral in their character. But the pressure 01 local in- 

 terests : combined with a speculative spirit, have in 

 many instances procured the passage of laws which 

 marred the harmony of the general plan and encum- 

 bered the system with a multitude of gen eral and spe- 

 cial enactments, which render the land laws compli- 

 cated, subject the titles to uncertainty, and the pur- 

 chasers often to oppression and wrong. Laws which 

 were intended for the "common benefit" have been 

 perverted so that large quantities of land are vesting 

 in single ownerships. From the multitude and char- 

 acter of the laws this consequence seems incapable of 

 correction by mere administration. 



It is not for the " common benefit of the United 

 States" that a large area of the public lands should 

 be acquired, directly or through fraud, in the hands 

 of a single individual. The nation's strength is in 

 the people. The nation's prosperity is in their pros- 

 perity. The nation's glory is in the equality of her 

 justice. The nation's perpetuity is in the patriotism 

 of all her people. Hence, as far as practicable, the 

 plan adopted in the disposal of the public lands 

 should have in view the original policy, which en- 

 couraged many purchasers of these lands for homes 



and discouraged the massing of large areas. Exclu- 

 sive of Alaska, about three fifths of the national do- 

 main has been sold or subjected to contract or grant. 

 Of the remaining two fifths a considerable portion is 

 either mountain or desert. A rapidly increasing pop- 

 ulation creates a growing demand for homes, and the 

 accumulation of wealth inspires an eager competition 

 to obtain the public land for speculative purposes. In 

 the future this collision of interests will be more 

 marked than in the past, and the execution of the na- 

 tion's trust in behalf of our settlers will be more diffi- 

 cult. I therefore recommend to your attentions the 

 recommendations contained in the report of the Sec- 

 retary of the Interior with reference to the repeal and 

 modification of certain of our land-laws. 



The nation has made princely grants and subsidies 

 to a system of railroads projected as great national 

 highways to connect the Pacific States with the East. 

 It has been charged that these donations from the 

 people have been diverted to private gain and cor- 

 rupt uses, and thus public indignation has been 

 aroused and suspicion engendered. Our great nation 

 does not begrudge its generosity, but it abhors pecu- 

 lation and fraud ; and tne favorable regard of our peo- 

 ple for the great corporations to which these grants 

 were made can only be revived by a restoration of 

 confidence, to be secured by their constant, unequiv- 

 ocal, and clearly manifested integrity. A faithful ap- 

 plication of the undiminished proceeds of the grants 

 to the construction and perfecting of their roads, an 

 honest discharge of their obligations, and entire jus- 

 tice to all the people in the enjoyment of their rights 

 on these highways of travel, is all the public asks, 

 and it will be content with no less. To secure these 

 things should be the common purpose of the officers 

 of the Government, as well as of the corporations. 

 With this accomplishment, prosperity would be per- 

 manently secured to the roads, and national pride 

 would take the place of national complaint. 



It appears from the report of the Commissioner of 

 Pensions that there were on the 1st day of July, 1885, 

 345,125 persons borne upon the pension-rolls, who 

 were classified as follows : Army invalids, 241,456 ; 

 widows, minor children, and dependent relatives of 

 deceased soldiers, 78,841 ; Navy invalids, 2,745 ; Navy 

 widows, minor children, and dependents, 1,926 ; sur- 

 vivors of the War of 1812, 2,945 ; and widows of those 

 who served in that war, 17,212. About one man in 

 ten of all those who enlisted in the late war are re- 

 ported as receiving pensions, exclusive of the depend- 

 ents of deceased soldiers. On the 1st of July. 1875, 

 the number of pensioners was 234,821, and the in- 

 crease within the ten years next thereafter was 110,- 

 304. 



While there is no expenditure of the public funds 

 which the people more cheerfully approve than that 

 niado in recognition of the services of pur soldiers, 

 living and dead, the sentiment underlying the sub- 

 ject should not be vitiated by the introduction of any 

 fraudulent practices. Therefore it is fully as impor- 

 tant that the rolls should be cleansed of all those who 

 by fraud have secured a place thereon as that merito- 

 rious claims should be speedily examined and ad- 

 justed. The reforms in the methods of doing the 

 business of this bureau which have lately been inau- 

 gurated promise better results in both these direc- 

 tions. 



The operations of the Patent-Office demonstrate the 

 activity of the inventive genius of the country. For 

 the year ended June 30, 1885, the applications for 

 patents, including reissues, and for the registration of 

 trade-marks and labels, numbered 35,688. During 

 the same period there were 22,928 patents granted 

 and reissued, and 1,429 trade-marks and labels regis- 

 tered. The number of patents issued in the year 1875 

 was 14,387. The receipts during the last fiscal year 

 were $1,074,974.35, and the total expenditures, not 

 including contingent expenses, $934,123.11. 



There were 9,788 applications for patents pending 

 on the 1st day of July, 1884, and 5,786 on the sanio 



